Will they run? SC’s Nikki Haley, Tim Scott plan Iowa visits, fueling 2024 speculation
Two prominent South Carolina Republicans are headed to Iowa next month, further fueling 2024 speculation.
In June, U.S Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley each have appearances at separate Republican events planned in the early presidential voting state.
Haley is scheduled to headline an annual fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa on June 30. She also is slated to speak at a Republican Party regional reception on June 29.
Scott is scheduled to speak at a regional reception along with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on June 9.
Spokesmen for Scott and Haley declined to comment on the upcoming Iowa trips.
The news was first reported by the Des Moines Register.
Iowa is the first state to hold its presidential nominating contest, potentially propelling candidates to the party’s nomination.
Democrats are considering changing the order of their presidential nominating contests because Iowa lacks diversity. During the 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucus the state had difficulty in counting votes which led to a delay in results.
However Republicans plan on keeping Iowa first.
Scott and Haley have said they will not run for president in 2024 should former President Donald Trump seek reelection. It’s not the stopped them from making visits to early voting states.
Scott is running for reelection for what he has said would be his final term to his Senate seat this year.
“I’m not running for president at this point at all,” he told reporters in October at an South Carolina GOP conference.
Scott made previous visits to Iowa, including to a Christian conservative Family Leadership Summit in 2019, campaigning with Ernst in 2020 and a 2021 state party fundraiser, the Register reported.
Haley’s visit to Iowa next month will be her fourth to the state since leaving the Trump administration.
This cycle, Haley’s Stand for America political action committee has raised $450,000 for the Iowa congressional delegation, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Republican Party, said the PAC’s spokesman Ken Farnaso.
Haley also delivered the keynote address last year at the state party’s annual Lincoln Dinner.
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 3:23 PM.
